Ensuring Electric Reliability in Minnesota and the Surrounding Region

The region is experiencing tremendous job and population growth, leading to a steady increase in electricity usage. The last major upgrade of the electric transmission infrastructure took place more than 25 years ago.

Planning studies show that customer demand for electricity will increase by 4,000 to 6,000 megawatts by 2020 – more than today’s system has the capacity to deliver. The proposed new transmission lines would be built in phases designed to meet the growth in electricity demand, as well as to tap into vast wind energy resources in the southern and western parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

The first group of CapX 2020 projects is made up of three proposed 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines, one 230-kV line and associated substations. The Group 1 proposed projects include:

• A 230-mile, 345-kV line between the Brookings, SD, area and the Southeast Twin Cities
• A 250-mile, 345-kV line between Fargo, ND, and Monticello, MN
• A 150-mile, 345-kV line between the Southeast Twin Cities and Rochester, MN, continuing to La Crosse, WI
• A 68-mile, 230-kV line between Bemidji and Grand Rapids in North Central Minnesota
  

The regulatory process for these lines is under way. The CapX 2020 utilities filed a Certificate of Need application in August with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for the three 345-kV projects. A separate Certificate of Need application was filed with the Commission in March 2008 for the 230-kV line.

The utilities also will be seeking project approval and permits for each of the proposed 345-kV transmission lines from regulatory commissions in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The CapX 2020 utilities are committed to working with all interested parties. They encourage everyone to participate in the regulatory processes by attending open houses and public meetings and providing information to the state commissions and the CapX 2020 utilities.